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At this point in the off-season, your motivation may be creeping back, and you might begin the process of setting some training and racing goals for 2006. Have you considered working towards improving your running cadence?

If your cadence is low, now is the perfect time to begin overriding the neurological pathways that connect the brain to the leg muscles. You may literally need to find a new internal beat for running, ideally in the range of 90-95 right foot strikes per minute. At first, shortening your stride and increasing turnover might have you feeling slower and less powerful as you sacrifice strength in certain muscles in order to build up others. Keep at it anyway! If you invest time during the Preparation and Base periods of your training to make some adjustments, the rewards will include faster run times, improved economy and endurance, and a much lower chance of injury.

Most of us will have to determine our run cadence manually by counting the number of right (or left) foot strikes per minute. As you get back on the roads, make the conscious decision to do a cadence check after every 10 minutes of running. Set an alarm on your watch if it helps. Count your steps for a full minute instead of using a smaller interval (sometimes rounding leads to errors).

Here are some skills and drills you can do to help improve your cadence:

• Run on the front “ball” of your feet. No heel striking!
• Keep your feet beneath you. Do not over-stride.
• Hop on one foot, minimizing contact time for 10 reps. Switch legs and repeat. Build up to 3 sets of 30 reps.
• Jumping rope can strengthen the muscles that stabilize the forefoot and can help teach rhythm.
• Downhill strides of 100 meters broken up as: 30 meters build cadence, 40 meters high cadence (not a sprint), 30 meters decrease cadence.

Allow yourself four to six weeks of dedicated work to cement the changes of your new running style.

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A pro-athlete recently complained to me that she seemed hungrier while training at a submaximal effort outdoors. She asked, “Do you burn more calories in the colder temperatures?”

Temperatures 0-degrees CELSIUS or lower can increase your caloric need if it is cold enough to elicit the shivering response. Caloric needs are increased due to the increase work of thermogenesis, the body’s temperature regulation. Shivering can increase metabolic heat production 2-5 times above resting. (1) While it is possible to exercise in the cold without the shiver response due to adequate clothing, warm up, fitness level and cold acclimatization, the type of fuel you burn is affected by the temperature. Training at submaximal levels and at temps below 0-degrees Celsius (32-degrees Fahrenheit) relies more on carbohydrate burning than on fat for fuel, at optimal ambient temperatures carbohydrates and fat are burned nearly equally. (2)

Fluid needs are increased due to increased ventilation and low humidity leads to greater respiratory water loss. There is also a reduced thirst response due to the decrease perception of work secondary to low sweat rate. A sport drink will improve fluid retention, fluid balance, and decreased urine output as compared to plain water. It will also provide carbohydrate calories.(1)

The winter months are a time for many of us to maintain or improve our fitness base or aerobic endurance. While training at an aerobic level or submaximal effort (VO2max ~65%) at temperatures below 0-degrees Celsius requires additional considerations as far as proper clothing (wear a hat), equipment, and safety it also has nutritional concerns: make healthy carbohydrate choices and be sure to take adequate fluids.

Kristin McCowan, MS
Kristin.mccowan@simmons.edu

1. Meyer, NL and Parker-Simmons, In Preparation for Torino 2006: Dietary Needs of Winter Sport Athletes, SCAN’S Pulse, Winter 2006, Vol. 25, No. 1

2. Layden, J, Patterson, M and Nimmo, M, Effects of reduced ambient temperature onfat utilization during submaximal exercise, Med & Sci in Sports and Exercise, 34 no 5 May 2002

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This is it’s own special category b/c of several reasons. First, it’s critical to get the layering right so that you can survive (A) in the winter time w/out freezing your bits and pieces off and (B) survive come next year when you face the competition. Let’s face it, regardless of the type of trainer that you have, you aren’t getting the same workout as you do when riding outside. If you are going to continue riding outside, however, you need to be prepared for all conditions. Here’s a list of what you need… Why Ride Outside In The Winter? 1. B/c you look like a bad ass. Impress your friends and nemeses alike by braving the bitter cold to get a workout in. 2. B/c it’s better for you. No trainer can replicate riding outside. Period. 3. B/c you have an excuse to buy some super technical gear. One word: Wind-block. Astronauts don’t have it this good. 40-Degrees and Up: You have it pretty easy. In fact, I wouldn’t call what you have “winter”, but let’s not get into that. If you are planning to ride outside, in addition to your shorts, short- and long-sleeve jerseys, you will need: * a solid base layer * a pair of lightweight gloves. Make sure the fit is just slightly loose (helps keep you warm). * a pair of booties. Even good w/ shorts in some weather, booties keep those poor little toes warm. Once these bad boys get cold there is no going back. * a pair of ear warmers. Thin and lightweight, they’ll do just the trick to take the edge off the air. * a pair of knee warmers. The perfect “i don’t know what to wear in this weather” gear. * a pair of long spandex. No pad needed (your run tights will do) * a pair of arm warmers. These are good in any weather and can make a cold ride that much better. * a wind block vest. Money for those long descents and super light to carry. * a winter jacket. If it’s just too cold, you can always reach for this over your base layer. try to get one w/ pockets in the back and armpit zippers to manage your temperature. 40-Degrees and Below: You will need all of the above gear, including: * a pair of winter gloves. Lobster gloves come to mind as they keep a nice buffer. Not easy to flip off those drivers, but you can’t win them all. * a pair of wind-block bib-tights with a zip over the belly. Think Assos. Your winter riding will be super easy. Note: You get the one w/ out the pad so you can wear your bike shorts under it for another layer. You’re so smart. * a balaclava top. So money. You will thank me again and again. Why all this gear? It’s pretty simple: riding outside is tough. You are working against the clock. You only have so much time before something becomes unbearable. Once your toes and fingers get cold, you have like 45 more minutes before things get dangerous (ie. they stop working – hint, bad for braking or trying to drink). Your toes and fingers get cold only if you haven’t wrapped up your belly and head. Unless you forgot your booties and gloves (don’t be THAT person!), the increased blood flow to your belly (think internal organs) and head (think BRAIN), there is less to go around for the rest of your body. So, start off right by protecting your core and you can stave off the inevitable…at least for another 30 minutes or so! Happy riding… Coach P

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oly cow that’s a scary picture. They are supposed to be pumpkins coming out of a really scary scarecrow…but I am afraid to look any closer. I’d advise against it! Anyway, back to the winter gear discussion! My last post covered the upper half of your swimming and running self, so this one’s all about the bottom half…cycling will follow soon… Swimming: Again, if you don’t know what to do here, you are on your own. Actually, if you don’t know what to do here, the chances of you being that really scary dude in the five-year old speedo about three lanes over…terrorizing everyone by revealing a bit too much. Do yourself a favor: get a drag suit to wear over your speedo. It makes your speedo last longer and is made of some serious fabric that will wear out long after your shoulders do. NOTE: When you buy a drag suit, you might need to get it one size bigger depending on the manufacturer. Be sure to read and see before you buy! Running: In a rare show of personal information, I have to admit I am a spandex man. I after 26.2 miles of chafing in my first marathon (Valencia, Spain in 1999), I have never worn short to run in again. To this day I still have nightmares where I stop at an aid station and am desperately yelling, “Donde esta la vaseline?” and only getting shrugs in return. So with that new information, I have to say that I go w/ spandex shorts as a base layer (no undies…unless they are getting to be like Dick’s speedo — see swim issue above). When it gets really cold out, I throw a pair of long spandex over the top…do not go commando in your long spandex…you will regret it (not that I’d know or anything). Worst case in long trou is that if you get too hot, you can strip down to your shorts and run in those…and you are still golden. On wicked cold days, I might wear shorts and two pairs of spandex long trou…but I try to avoid running on those days if necessary… Up next: Winter Bike Gear breakdown…stay tuned…

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Ah, the dog days of winter. They are a coming my friends…are you ready? If you are still living in the land of “Ooooooooooh, those red and yellow leaves are really pretty”, you’ll wake up one morning to look like this dude on the left (yikes!), wondering what hit you. Don’t be like this dude…be prepared. Fine, you say? How do you get started, you say? Stop with these annoying questions you say? :-p Okay, okay, I will. There are two ways to gear up for the winter: the right way and the wrong way. My wife will say there are another two ways: the expensive way and the cheap way. I will do my best to navigate you through the maze of right and wrong, expensive and cheap….from the ground up. (If you want more info, send me a note or post in the forum and we can follow up there). $$$ = Supa expensive; $$ = moderately so; $ = a deal/steal/your spouse will approve. Swimming: Only change here is making sure you have the right post-swim gear. More athletes get sick w/ wet hair after swimming than you or I can imagine. Don’t be a bonehead, wear a hat. That was easy. Cost = $ If you buy two of these (or keep the one really clean), you can use it running or under you cycling helmet. Multitasking, baby! Running: Also not that hard, as you are generating a lot of heat as you run. Want to be warmer…just run harder!!! Seriously though, you need to start from the inside out. You will want a nice base layer to keep you warm. I prefer a nice snug shirt (wicking or not is up to you), as the fit alone helps me to stay warm (think underarmor). Cost = $ (about 25 bucks). I will typically layer this with a long sleeve shirt that is a bit looser and typically a mid-weight material (here is the Axuwool T from Patagonia). I like this option as it has a zipper for ventilation. Cost = $$ (90 bucks for a longsleeve is a lot). Next later on top of this is typically a wind-breaking vest. I go right to my cycling gear on this (double dipping here saves money later!). Something along the lines of Performance Bike’s IllumiNITE Vest will do the trick…light weight enough to be a good layer, good enough for most moisture, zipper for regulating temperature and reflective for running in less than ideal conditions (i.e. winter evenings, storms or better yet, winter evening storms). Cost = $ (50 bucks for a double duty vest is a deal!) For the worst conditions, I will use some heavy duty item such as a Gore Tex Full Jacket (repels wind and rain). The key with this is a nice snug collar (no hood needed), some storage room (back pocket), long enough to cover a fuel belt so your winter drinks don’t freeze up, and zippers under the arms (more zippers!) to regulate that temperature. If I am going with the vest and it’s cold, but not cold enough for the big Gore jacket, I usually add my arm warmers (best dang invention since sliced bread). They store easily, can be rolled up or down to regulate heat and accentuate your killer biceps. What more do you need? Coming next…what goes on your bottom half???

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